May 31, 2023
Jasmine Richardson and WIE Director, Teresa VanderSloot
Spartan Girls Who Code is an outreach program that focuses on teaching young girls from the greater Lansing area and other surrounding communities both virtually and in person how to code. This allows young girls to discover coding for the first time and give them a head start in the world of tech. In the tech field females are in the minority and often do not get the same opportunities as males. SGWC creates a safe space for girls to be able to get involved in tech, be inspired by other women, and be creative.
I first started working as a mentor virtually in the Spring of 2022. I supervised a group of 10-20 kids online creating their own websites using HTML and CSS. HTML and CSS is a great tool for early coders to see the power of coding and how it can be fun and a creative outlet. As a mentor, I got to see their progress as they worked through the curriculum and learned new things every week. It always amazes me to see what the kids can come up with for their final websites. Oftentimes, it is things they enjoy, ranging from fun facts about their favorite animals to advocating for climate change. This program just proves how easy it is for young people to be able to get their voices heard in an innovative way.
I love working with Teresa VanderSloot and the entire SGWC team so much I decided to continue my outreach efforts to the following fall semester with Technovation and in the spring semester of 2023 as an admin. As an administrator in the program, I really got to see the behind the scenes work it takes to run such an amazing program. I gained a new appreciation for SGWC and I feel inspired by these kids that have an opportunity to jump into the world of tech at such a young age.
